Chapter 18: Conquest and Survival – The Trans-Mississippi West

American Communities: Oklahoma Land Rush

18.1: Indian People Under Siege

A. Growth of the West 1. Gold rush (1848) 2. Homestead Act (1862) 3. Alaska Terr. (1867) 4. TRR (1869) 5. Trouble w/Natives

A. Growth of the West 6. Indian Removal Act – 1830 a. Removal of Natives by force if needed/Pres. AJ b. Trail of Tears after Cherokee Nation v. Ga “No Mans Land” 8. Leads to “Land Rush” and “Sooners”

“Land Rush” & “Sooners”

C. Assimilation of the Native American 1. Farming 2. Christianity 3. English 4. Education “Friends of the Indians”

Dances with Wolves

Importance of the Buffalo

D. Settlers and the Buffalo 1. Killed a. by hunters for heads, hides, bones, and fur b. for sport c. by RR co. 2. Helped gov’t push Natives onto reservations

E. Massacre at Sand Creek, Co Natives told to make camp at Sand Creek to make peace deal. 2. Col. Chivington a. >100 Cheyenne killed while sleeping; bodies mutilated b. Body parts kept as souvenirs 3. Later discredited by Congress

F. Treaty of Laramie (1868) 1. Ended Great Sioux War of Lands in the Black Hills, SD, Wy, and Mt. 3. Deposits of gold discovered, which leads to …

G. Battle at Little Bighorn, Mt. (aka Greasy Grass ) (1876) 1. 7th Calvary sent to take lands of Black Hills – found gold 2. Custer and men overtaken and killed by Crazy Horse 3. Public outcry = forcing more onto reservations 4. Same situation with the Nez Perce in the NW Pacific “Custer’s Last Stand”

18.7: Transformation of Indian Society

A. Helen Hunt Jackson (1881) 1. Exposes injustices of the NA by the US gov’t 2. Supporter of assimilation a. Indian Rights Association b. Women’s National Indian Association

B. Dawes Severalty Act (1887) 1. To “Americanize” NA by teaching them that owning land and farming was “right” 2. Reservation lands distributed to head of household; 160 acres; individuality not communal 3. Lands left over sold to settlers 4. NA lost >2/3 rd of their lands

C. Ghost Dance: prohibited by government 1. Return of the buffalo 2. Restorations of their lands 3. Make the white man disappear

D. Battle of Wounded Pine Ridge Reservation (1890) 1. Started with the arrest and killing of Sitting Bull 2. A few days later, 7 th Calvary rounded up ghost dancers and took them to Wounded Knee Camp 3. >200 unarmed NA killed and left to freeze 4. Payback for Battle of Little Bighorn 5. Brought Indian wars to an end

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee

18.2: Internal Empire Mining, Mormons, and Mexicans

A.Miners “Striking it Rich!” Mining for Gold and Silver

1. Pros and Cons of Mining a. Pros i. Railroads increased ii. Statehood increased iii. Cities developed and “Boomed”- economy grew rapidly b. Cons i. Increased crime ii. Destruction of land iii. “ghost towns”

2. Real Winners? a. Mine owners - able to invest capital in industries that supported the miners i. Equip and technology ii. RR iii. Timber iv. hydroelectricity

Hazards of Mining The Western Federation of Miners on parade, passing the Southern Hotel in Rhyolite, February 17, (Nevada Historical Society)

Miners & Workers

From Boom Towns to Ghost Towns

Realities of “Helldorados”

B. Mormons Joseph Smith Brigham Young

C. Mexican-Americans 1. Economically and socially tied to land and country 2. Very few prospered 3. Formed political party 4. Poor political conditions in Mex = migration

18.5: The World’s Breadbasket

A. Farming and Technology McCormick’s reaper

A. Farming and Technology 1. Efficiency = increase trade 2. Dependent on: a. Technology b. Nature c. Shipping and RR d. Global markets

18.4: Farming Communities on the Plains

A. The Great Plains  1. Why move to the Great Plains? (future home of the Dust Bowl!) a. Homestead Act b. Advertising c. RR/towns d. Farming technology

B. Homestead Act of acres 2. 5 yrs cultivation (grow crops) 3. Land for farming was bad 4. Option of purchasing it at $1.25 acre after 6 months (residency requirement) 5. Only 10% of farmers received their lands from the act. Why so little? - Better lands closer to transportation and town/mkts

Dugouts

Soddies

18.3: The Open Range

Cowboys & Cattle

Long Drives

B. Collapse of Cattle Industry  barb wire  overgrazing  overstocking extreme weather

A. Life as a Cowboy 1. Hard: Saloons, violence, guns, and prostitutes 2. Range wars = fences; problematic for grazing